Department profile
Serle Court

Chancery: Commercial

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)


Serle Court

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chancery: Commercial - London (Bar)

Band 1

Band 1


What the Team is Known For

The barristers at Serle Court are said to be "exceptionally bright, strategic and adept at handling the most complex and sophisticated matters". The set has an enviable bench of senior and junior barristers, and is regularly called upon to undertake the most complex cases in the market, such as Wong v Grand View, an USD18 billion case and the largest piece of litigation in Bermuda's history. Other examples of recent work handled include Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan and others, a high-value case arising from the alleged bribery of the claimants' former director general; and Kea v Watson, a series of multijurisdictional fraud cases involving the State of Kentucky and New Zealand. Nicholas Hockney and Daniel Wheeler are the practice directors.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The clerks' room is fantastic. Practice directors Dan Wheeler and Nick Hockney are really responsive, good to get on with, commercial and sensitive.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks provide clear, timely and client-focused responses.Their support has been efficient and aligned with the expectations and needs typically required in international matters.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • You invariably get superb service from the clerks at Serle Court.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks at Serle Court are personable, efficient and professional.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Band 1Adil Mohamedbhai
    Band 1Adil Mohamedbhai

    Adil Mohamedbhai

    • Adil is extremely intelligent and backs that up with excellent advocacy. He is highly responsive, very easy to work with and engaging.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Adil's technical excellence is unparalleled, and he is plainly a future star of the Bar.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Adil is super brainy. He goes through the most complex matters very quickly and provides clean, clear analysis of the case. Always very friendly, he's approachable even when very busy.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Daniel Lightman
    Band 1Daniel Lightman

    Daniel Lightman

    • Daniel is an excellent technician and exquisite draftsman.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Daniel is a genuine authority on all things minority shareholder disputes.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Like a ferret up a drainpipe, Daniel will go to all lengths to find a creative solution.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Daniel is accessible, very intelligent and fastidious in his approach. He is a really good strategist, who can break things down into digestible bits of information. He's also great with clients.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Daniel is an incredibly talented black-letter lawyer.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Elizabeth Jones
    Band 1Elizabeth Jones

    Elizabeth Jones

    • Elizabeth is good, strong and no-nonsense.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Elizabeth is an incredibly ferocious advocate.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1John Machell
    Band 1John Machell

    John Machell

    • John is excellent on his feet.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • John is without peer among silks when it comes to advising on LLP and partnership law.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • John is brilliant and highly commercial. He picks things up in an instant and doesn't sit on the fence.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • John is technically excellent and able to step back and see the bigger picture.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • John is very technical, always willing and someone who writes persuasive skeleton arguments. You feel like you have an advantage going into the courtroom with him.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Dakis Hagen
    Band 2Dakis Hagen

    Dakis Hagen

    • Dakis has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law and works exceptionally well with offshore lawyers in London.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dakis Hagen is just incredibly knowledgeable on the trusts side of things.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dakis is a charming and effective advocate with unbelievable intellectual power, which he wears lightly. He is able to lead judges through a case like others really can’t.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Dan McCourt Fritz
    Band 2Dan McCourt Fritz

    Dan McCourt Fritz

    • Dan is a leading light at the Bar. His strength is that he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and a memory that puts us all to shame.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dan is brilliant on his feet and a decisive and authoritative leader.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dan goes toe to toe with far more senior silks and excels. His advocacy is superb, and he is the kind of guy you want on your team.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dan is calm and good at responding to questions from the bench. He is very good at thinking on his feet because of the way he prepares.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Dan is fiercely bright and thinks outside the box to secure positive outcomes for his clients. He is also very personable and has a good manner with clients.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2David Drake
    Band 2David Drake

    David Drake

    • David is a very good, quite relaxed senior junior who's easy to work with. He is great at working as part of a team and very precise on the law.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • David knows the law inside out and sees the complexities of a case. He thinks deeply and is a good written and oral advocate.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • David is so bright and is a barrister who has banked up a stash of legal knowledge to die for. He is the guy to bounce stuff off.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Hugh Norbury
    Band 2Hugh Norbury

    Hugh Norbury

    • Hugh is really intellectual but not too precious about it. He gives overtly considered advice; nothing is just throwaway. He is just utterly reliable and great fun.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2James Mather
    Band 2James Mather

    James Mather

    • James is our first port of call for partnership disputes. He has real intellectual firepower and can be subtle or a street fighter as the situation requires.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • James Mather is a very bright guy.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • James Mather is very impressive and persuasive.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Jonathan Adkin
    Band 2Jonathan Adkin

    Jonathan Adkin

    • Jonathan is so nice to work with, as he's very collaborative and so relaxed. He is also really good at the judgement calls and identifying the issues in a case.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Jonathan is one of the finest advocates at the Bar and a steady hand on the tiller.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Jonathan's advocacy is amongst the best at the Chancery Bar.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Absolutely super and someone with excellent judgement; he is ruthless at discarding the weaker points. Jonathan is a very disciplined and competent trial advocate.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Rupert Reed
    Band 2Rupert Reed

    Rupert Reed

    • Rupert is very smooth and very good at persuading judges. He is really smart and charming.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Rupert gets into the weeds of a case. He is brilliant and good on his feet with the judges.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3David Blayney
    Band 3David Blayney

    David Blayney

    • David is immensely creative and clever.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • David is definitely the person to go to for a monstrous case. He is unflappable and dignified in the courtroom.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • David is just one of the cleverest guys on earth. He is methodical, well reasoned and someone with exceptional brain power and court presence.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • David did one of the finest cross-examinations of an expert I've ever heard. He's very astute and forensically brilliant.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Gareth Tilley
    Band 3Gareth Tilley

    Gareth Tilley

    • Gareth is good at absorbing information at pace. He is very organised and a strong senior junior who is able to contribute to any case and lead others.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Gareth Tilley is a really good barrister and really great with clients. He's responsive and easy to work with.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Giles Richardson
    Band 3Giles Richardson

    Giles Richardson

    • Giles has a great sense of judgement and doesn't overcomplicate things.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Giles is loved by his clients as he has a tremendous manner and is very reassuring. He gives the very best quality advice and is very hands-on.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Giles has real gravitas and the ability to calmly control the court. He adapts quickly and well to any changing circumstances.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Giles has an innately intuitive grasp of the issues at play and is able to approach matters from first principles. He really comes up with reasoned answers and original analysis.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Justin Higgo
    Band 3Justin Higgo

    Justin Higgo

    • His written submissions are clear and chronological, and guide the judge to the issues at hand. At trial, Justin is both a persuasive and powerful advocate.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Justin is a very creative advocate who is very responsive.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Justin had the ear of the judge, and the clients really liked him. He's charming, very good at cross-examining, but also a bit of a scrapper who really fights his corner.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Lance Ashworth
    Band 3Lance Ashworth

    Lance Ashworth

    • Lance has the relatively rare combination of being a first-class brain and a high-quality advocate. He is very responsive and very aware of the bigger picture in complex matters.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • If you have a serious problem, Lance is on the shortlist of people you can call to find a solution.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Lance works incredibly hard; he doesn't just delegate to his juniors, but is always all over the detail.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Paul Adams
    Band 3Paul Adams

    Paul Adams

    • Paul is a very reflective and bright man who is really responsive. He's a good person to work with and very competent at presenting the case.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Simon Hattan
    Band 3Simon Hattan

    Simon Hattan

    • Simon is a very calm and tremendously experienced barrister who thinks really strategically and doesn't waste time. He's economical in his use of time, both in writing and on his feet.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Simon is very good in his written work; he's pragmatic and doesn't miss anything. He is sensible in court, so people listen to him.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Sophie Holcombe
    Band 3Sophie Holcombe

    Sophie Holcombe

    • Sophie is absolutely brilliant and really considered in everything she does. If you send a random query to her, you don't get a half-baked answer. She is all over the detail and good at what she does.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Sophie Holcombe produces very clear and comprehensive advice. She's a pleasure to work with.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Dominic Dowley KC
    Band 4Dominic Dowley KC

    Dominic Dowley KC

    • A fine opponent who is even-handed and extremely fair-minded.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Emma Hargreaves
    Band 4Emma Hargreaves

    Emma Hargreaves

    • Emma is an incredibly fierce advocate who's calm and measured even under stressful conditions. She can adapt herself well when she runs into stormy weather on a case.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Emma is very, very bright and fast-working. She gets on top of huge amounts of information very quickly.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Emma is extremely hard-working, very responsive and always available. She's able to produce a massive amount of work in a short period of time, and nothing fazes her.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Lara Kuehl
    Band 4Lara Kuehl

    Lara Kuehl

    • I consider Lara Kuehl to be an excellent advocate. Her written work is first class, and she is very responsive and extremely easy to work with.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Lara produces amazing performances in court because she is very well prepared and aware of the court and its reactions as the day progresses. She is able to adapt very quickly to changing situations.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Lara has always been very reliable and very, very good in court. Her written work is excellent, and she is very, very user-friendly.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Oliver Jones
    Band 4Oliver Jones

    Oliver Jones

    • Oliver Jones is hard-working, user-friendly and responsive.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Oliver Jones is a fantastic lawyer who's great to work with.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Ollie Jones is exceptional. He consistently delivers impressive results in even the most complex and challenging cases. As an advocate, he is clear, engaging and persuasive.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Stephanie Thompson
    Band 4Stephanie Thompson

    Stephanie Thompson

    • Stephanie is super bright and has a really clear drafting style. She is a responsive and really smart barrister.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Stephanie is unbelievably good. She's a massive workhorse who produces highly complex opinions to tight deadlines and knows how to pitch to clients at the right level.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Stephanie Thompson at Serle Court is brilliant. She performs so far above her call.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Timothy Collingwood
    Band 4Timothy Collingwood

    Timothy Collingwood

    • Timothy is very fun to work with, very engaging and someone who clients really like. He's a very clever advocate who's very good on the strategy of litigation.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Timothy was fantastic in his written submissions and in his advocacy in court. He was reliable, great to deal with and commercial in his approach.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Really good to work with, he is very tactically astute and open to discussion. He immerses himself in the case and knows documents back to front. In court, his advocacy is fantastic.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksJames Weale
    New SilksJames Weale

    James Weale

    • James Weale is at the top of his game as a junior lawyer. He's incredibly busy and produces phenomenal work product – I don't know how he finds enough hours in the day..

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • James is a great advocate who is good at cross-examination. He's incredibly hands on, and his written work is excellent as he gets stuck into the details.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • James is clever, responsive and someone who comes up with practical solutions. He is streetwise; he knows what you can and can't do.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • James is a fiercely intelligent and incredibly versatile advocate. His oral advocacy is particularly impressive, and his strategic vision is second to none.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksMatthew Morrison
    New SilksMatthew Morrison

    Matthew Morrison

    • Matthew dealt with a complex, wide-ranging claim with absolute class. His understanding of the case and his out-of-the-box thinking really impressed us.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Matthew's written work, cross-examinations and client skills are all excellent.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Serle Court (27)

London (Bar)

What success is built on

Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.

Explore thought leadership